The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-01-15

The Beggarly Pittance Earned by Clerks
and SAleSlnen-Wxges OF Working.
Women.

Comptroller Loew has announced that
hereafter he will not pay any part of
clerks salary to the loan brokers. who
have so long fattened on this kind of
usury, says New York letter to the
Utica Herald. The pressure to which
salaricd men are subject makes them
incessant borrowers. and after they
have run in debt elsewhere as much as
possible they apply to the salary brok-
ers. class which has reached perma-
nence. il not respcctability. Some of
this number limit loans to s. or $40
months, and find their customers in re-
tail clerks. Others hang round the
post-otlice and city hall and deal out
large sums, but the best pickings are
found at the custOm-house where most
of the officials live month ahead and
pay large fees for cash advances. The
salary broker under such favorable cir
cumstances can clear 81, 900 year, and
live in an easy manner on the shaves
inflicted on others. When a clerks
wages are mortgaged a month ahead
he is so afraid that his employer will
find it out that he pays in self defense.
Secrecy. indeed. is of the highest inn
portance. and hence all such transac-
tiOns are advertised as ''cOnfideniial."
This fact has led Comptroller Loew to
his determination to oppose the ruinous
system. He will pay no more salary Or
ders to brokers. and if any order is pre-
sen,ed it will not be paid until an cx-
PLANTATION is given why personal appli-
cation Is not made. 1t is one of The
common complaints among salaricd
men that they can not live on their in
come. No wonder, for New York sala-
ries are very low compared with ex-
penses. Clerks in retail stores get from
s. to SIS a week, and the latter is paid
only to the best statesmen. Bookkcep-
ers receive from $500 to $1,000, though
few favored men in fat places get
$1,000 year. Situations in the post
office nt $500 are in great demand, and
clerkships in public offices mt $1,000 are
among the spoils of party success. Such
a berth, indeed. is often sought for by
bribery-that is. by paying a s. week
bonus for the appointment. Now when
you consider that Il set of apartments
costs $40. and that q flat three stories
high rents from $50 to $40 a month. it
is not surprising that salarieG men
should be almost always in debt There
has been several years reduction in
salaries of all kinds. owing TO severe
competition in trade. Among the poor
est paid class is the gatemen at the ele-
waited road, who on y get 1926 a day,
and yet many of them are married.
There is great pressure, however. TO
get even such a petty berth, and New
York. indeed, contains such an immense
number of people in search of work
that the very smallest salaries are ac-
cepted.
Multitudes of young men are now
tempted to come to this city by the ad-
vertlsemenls for clerks, bookkeepers.
statesmen. and other help. most of
which is a mere dccoy. The object of
the advertisers is to fleece the unwary,
and they find their most facile victims
in country youths. Here is a sample of
some of these decoys:
"A iirst-class salesman. of pleasing
address. who can loan 300 on un-
doubted security. is wanted to solicit !
orders Tor an established firm. Salary /
$lOO per month, or liberal commits |
sion. Address Business, box - of /
iice.
"A partner wanted with S4OO. An !
educated young man in the auction, /
real estate, and store agency, letting
and collecting rents. Apply to +. g.,
auctioneer. = Bowery."
The sole object of The advertiser is to
get possession of the victims. and rs
this can not be done in direct man
ner n little trickery is necessary. The
applicant finds the "business man" in
an Office where books are shown TO
prove the profit of the proposed trans
action. but after the money is paid it
does not take more than dav or two
10 reveal the fraud. Every dollar that
the victim has invested is lost. and
when he applies to the police Office more
money is wanted. The police will not
trouble themselves with such matters
without pay. for they know that moth
ing will be got out of the knaves, and
at last the poor dupe will find himself
left to make the most out of his costly
experience. Such cases are occurring
daily, and this will continue as long us
tho supply OF grecnhorns is unex-
hausted.
One of the most painful features in
life is the degradation of
do not here refer 10 anything
of vicious nature. but simply TO the
effect of extreme poverty. 1t is always
pitiable 10 see the sex forced to unfemi-
nine employncnts, but it is common
hing here. have seen a woman cut
ing grass with sickle in an uptown
Ot in order to make hay for the winter
support Of goat have seen a wom-
IN bring home a board from some de-
building and then try to break
I up for fuel By pounding it on the
sidewalk with stone. saw another
woman carrying coal In pail up three
pairs of stairs to her room in . tcne-
nent house She had bought q small
Dad of this article and was thus storing
t away. A large part OF the chiffoniers
" rag and waste-paper pickers are
vomcn, and what horrid-looking crea-
ures they are! On the other hand.
lealer in fashions told me that there
ire hundreds and even thousands of
women who spend &25. 200 annually on
lress. 1t may be difficult TO imagine
he feelings of this fashion-worshiplng
'rowd, but how much more 10 imagine
hose OF a woman 90 degraded that
ag picked from the street il . prize.
Taking general view. Now York life is
lot favorable 10 woman. Among the
ich tho idleness of luxury wastes its
'ictims into helplessness, while among
he poor one notices that disproportion-
to degree Of hardship which so often
lamps the countenance with fearful